For many years in Scotland the tourism and whisky industries have been closely aligned. This is in part due to the close relationship and heritage whisky has with Scottish culture overall. In this article we will look at the overall relationship between tourism and the whisky industry and how it has progressed over time.

The Tourism Industry

Across the world the word tourism can have a variety of connotations. For some negative and for others positive. Tourism has been around for many years but has become increasingly mainstream in the 20th and 21st centuries. This is partly due to an increase in technology and advertisements as well as cheap travel to enable more of us to visit different locations across the world.

This has led to massively increased tourism and visitor numbers to Scotland and other parts of the UK. One of the major sites that many tourists choose to visit when they are in Scotland is Scotland’s famous distilleries. Scotland is the home of Scotch whisky which has been around for hundreds of years and has been enjoyed around the world by many generations.

The Whisky Industry

In Scotland the whisky industry makes up an important part of Scottish culture and is valued by tourists and locals alike. For many Generations the whisky industry has provided tens of thousands of jobs to people across Scotland. To this day whisky is still distilled in Scotland with millions of bottle of whisky being exported around the world every year.

In order for whisky to be considered a true scotch whisky then it must be distilled using traditional methods for at least a minimum of three years in a distillery located in Scotland. Scottish whisky remains a unique and valued product that is increasingly sought after across many different countries.

The whisky industry has always been traditionally closely aligned with tourism as they both benefit from people visiting Scotland. Increasingly tour companies and guides are integrating with whisky companies in order to provide whisky orientated trips or tours. These are particularly popular on Scottish Islands such as Skye.

How Have Both Industries Benefited Each Other?

Overall both industries have benefited each other in a variety of different ways overall. One of the main ways in which both industries have benefited each other is income and footfall. Both the whisky and tourism industries have received a noticeable increase in footfall in recent years overall.

This has been partly due to better marketing by both industries as well as increasing numbers of people around the world becoming interested in global travel overall. Increasingly whisky distilleries and tourist offices are working together and sharing contacts.

It is difficult to separate the whisky industry from Scottish culture and this is part of the reason why whisky and tourism are closely interlinked. It is likely that in the near future tourism will continue to see growth within Scotland.

Conclusion

Overall in conclusion it is clear that the whisky and tourism industries remain close and will continue to assist each other for the foreseeable future. Further travel links as well as better infrastructure can help to facilitate increasing visitor numbers in Scotland